Tinning-machine



C. C. ROBERTS..

TINNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2. 1918, 1,373,023. Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

lNl/ENTQR CHARLES CUR A ORNEY C. C. ROBERTS.

TINNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT: 2. 191a.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lrlvElvTol? CHARLES C. ROBERTS ATTORNEY C. C. ROBERTS TINNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2, 1918.

1,373,023. I Patented Mar. 29,1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR Charla 5 C Roberts ATTORNEY C. C. ROBERTS.

TINNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2:1918. v 1,373,023. Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR.

' CHARLES C. ROBERTS 9 ATTORNEY C. C ROBERTS.

TiNNlNG MACHINE.

I APPLlCATION HLED OCT. 2. I918. 1,378,028. Patented Mar.29,1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

m vnv 70/? CW/IRLES (I. ROBERTS UNITED STATES CHARLES C. ROBERTS, OF ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT.

TINNING-MACHINE.

Application filed October 2, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. Ronnn'rs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ansonia, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tinning-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tinning machines and embodies an organization of elements which have been particularly devised for tinning sheet metal on one side.

This application is a continuation in part of applicants co-pending application, Serial No. 854,364, filed July 31, 191%.

In referring to the invention as particularly relating to tinning machines it should not be considered that such machine is limited in its use for tinning sheets or plates of metal, as the machine may be employed with facility for coating sheets or plates with materials other than tin; and in the subjoined description the operation of tinning sheets which will be particularly'described is only intended to demonstrate one of the practical functions of the mechanism embodying the features of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine a part thereof being shown in a horizontal section taken on line 1 g in Fig. 4;

Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view taken on line w-.23 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a side elevation of the side 1 of the frame;

Fig. 4, a side elevation of the side 2 of the frame;

Fig. 5, an enlarged central longitudinal sectional view of the tinning drum and the means for engaging the edges of the sheet material;

Fig. 6, an enlarged detail view of the cam linksin the carrier chains, and

Fig. 7 an enlarged detail view of one of the wiping brushes.

During the normal operation of the machine the metal sheet is uncoiled and advanced successively between scouring brushes, under a flux-applying brush, over heated drums and under a tinning instrumentality. Then the sheet isadvanced up wardly and engaged by wiping brushes, over a roller and downwardly to a receiving drum. The instrumentalities aforesaid and their appurtenances are set forth in detail in the following description:

The machine consists of a frame having Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

Serial No. 256,518.

sides 1, 2 near the upper left hand corners of which (assuming that the observer is facing the side of the machine shown in Fig. 4) are journaled the shafts 3, 4:. A coil of sheet copper 5 is carried by a core '6 having trunnions 7, 7 which are coupled to the shafts 3, 4: by slotted collars 8, 8 so that the core may be removed after the metal is uncoiled from the same and replaced by another core carrying a new coil of metal. Loosely mounted on the shafts 3, 4 respectively are the sprockets 9, 9. A brake mechanism is carried by the outer extremity of the shaft 1 which latter projects beyond the side 2 of the frame. This brake mechanism consists of a fixed disk 11 cast with one side 2 of the frame, a longitudinally movable,

disk 12, which revolves with the shaft 41-, and a leather washer 13 disposed between the two disks, the braking operation being effected by turning the wheel 14 on the screw-threaded extremity of the shaft 4, thereby causing the disk 12 to move longitudinally and to force the washer into frictional engagement with the opposing faces of the two disks. In advance of the core 6 a pair of scouring brushes 15, 15 are mounted on the shafts 16, 16, the shaft of the up per brush being journaled in the sides of the frame and the shaft of the lower brush being journaled in the blocks 26, 26, which latter are carried by the sides of the frame in a ma-n ner hereinafter described.- These shafts 16, 16 project beyond the side 1 of the frame and keyed thereto are a pair of meshing gears 17, 17. In advance of the upper scouring brush, so that it will engage the upper surface of the advancing sheet material, is an acid brush 18 mounted on a shaft 19 journaled in the sides of the frame. This shaft 19 has one of its extremities projecting beyond the side 1 of the frame upon. which extremity is keyed a gear 20 and a sprocket 21. Meshing with theunder side of the upper gear 17 and the gear 20 is an idle gear 22 keyed to a screw-threaded stub shaft 23 screwed into the side 1 of the frame, thereby forming a train of three gears which is driven by the sprocket 21.

Below the acid brush 18 a pair of idle rollers 24, 24; are mounted on shafts 25 journaled at their extremities in the blocks 26, 26. The sides of these blocks 26, 26 are grooved to engage the sides 27, 27 of the vertical slots formed in each side of the frame and are normally held elevated in the slots lUii by the counterbalanced levers 28, each of which has one end 29 pivoted to its block and fulcrumed on a pivot pin 30 projecting inwardly from the side of the frame. In this manner the lower scouring brush 15 and the guide rollers 24, 24 are caused to engage the under side of the advancing sheet and press the sheet into en agement with the upper scouring brush 15 and the acid brush 18. Disposed along theupper side of the brush 18 is a feed pipe 31 which delivers an acid flux to the brush 18. The feed pipe 31 is connected by a suitable valved conduit 32 with thetank' 33 mounted on the top of the frame. In advance of and below the idle rollers 24,24 so that it will engage the under side of the advancing sheet is a heating drum 34 having hollow projecting trunnion shafts 35, 35 journaled in the sides of the frame. Loosely mounted on the trunnion shafts 35, 35 are the sprockets 73, 7 3 which latter are in alinement with the sprockets 9, 9. Passing axially through the drum 34 i and its trunnion shafts 35, 35 is a gass pipe provided with suitable burners 166, 166. In advance of and below the heating drum 34, and also arranged to engage the underside I of the advancing sheet is a heating drum 167 having hollow projecting trunnion shafts 168, 168 journaled in the sides of the 167 having hollow projecting trunnion shafts 168, 168 are the sprockets 169, 169 arranged in alinement with the sprockets 73, 73. Passing axially through the drum 167 and its trunnion shafts 168, 168 is a gas pipe 164 provided with suitable burners 170, 170. Between the heating drums 34 and 167 arranged to engage the upper side of the advancing sheet is a heating 7 drum 171 having hollow projecting trunnion shafts 172, 172 journaled in blocks 173, 173 yieldingly mounted to slide against springs 174, 174 in the sides of the frame.

The blocks 173, 173 yield in a direction at right angles to the advancing sheet, the action of the springs 174, 174 causing the heating drum 171 to normally press the sheet into close engagement with the heating drums and 167. In advance of and below the heating drum' 34 is a coating drum 38 having hollow projecting trunnion shafts 39, 39 journaled in the sides of the frame. Passing axially through the trunnion shafts 39, 39 is a gas pipe 37 pr vided with suitable burners 175, 175. Loosely mounted on the trunnion shafts 39, are the sprockets 40, 49 which latter are in alinement with the sprockets 169,- 169. These trunnion shafts project beyond both sides of the frame the sprocket 41'being keyed to that extremity which projects beyond the side 2 and the gear 42 being keyed to the opposite extremity. Mounted on the frame above the coating drum 38 is a reservoir 43 for molten tin and a magazine 44 for feeding blocks of tin 45 to the coating drum. These blocks of tin are molded so as to present a series of corrugations along one side of their faces which latter mesh with a series of pinions 46 keyed to the shaft 47 journaled in lugs 48 projecting from the back of the receptacle 4 1-. The receptacles 43 and 44 together with the lugs 48 may be cast in one piece and have laterally projecting supports 10, the extremities of which latter are set in slots 146 in the sides of the frame. The coating drum is preferably made of copper and, although its surface may be smooth, I prefer to provide the same with channels 49 disposed longitudinally thereof in a manner to leave cutting edges 50 between them. These cutting ed gcs 50 are arranged to mill off the bottom of the tin block 45 which is fed down to the drum by the pinions 46, which latter a re driven by the chain 155 propelled by the sprocket 41 keyed to one of the trunnion shafts 39 of the tinning drum. The tin thus milled off its block imediately becomes molten due to the heat of the tinning drum and is carried down in the channels, which deposit the same on the top face of the sheet material. While this method of supplying the tin is one of the features of-my invention, yet I may supply the tin in any well known manner,

as for instance from the reservoir 43 which is filled with molten tin, the latter being drawn off at the bottom by lifting the valve 51. The valve is operated by the lever 5:2 fulcrumed on the support 53 and permits the molten tin to flow through a supply pipe 54 on to the upper surface of the tinning drum which deposits it upon the upper surface of the sheet material. Suitable gas burners 55 are disposed beneath the reservoir 43. In the upper corners of the sides of the frame and some distance above the tinning drum is a hollow drum 56 loosely mounted on a shaft 57 journaled in the sides of the frame. A pair of sprockets 58, 58 are keyed to the shaft 57 one on each side of the drum and in alinement respectively with the sprockets 40, 40. The shaft 57 projects beyond the side 2 of the frame and has mounted thereon a sprocket 59. At the lower right and left hand corners of the frame are journaled the shafts 60 and 61 respectively. Keyed to each of these shafts between the sides 1 and 2 of the frame is :1 pair of sprockets 62 and 63 one sprocket of each pair being shown in Fig. 2. These sprockets are in alinement with their corresponding sprockets 9, 9 mounted on the shafts 3 and 4 respectively. Some distance above the tinning drum 38 the drive shaft 64 is ournaled in the sides of the frame and has its extremities projecting beyond the sides. Mounted on the projecting extremity beyond the side 1 are the tight and loose pulleys 65 and 66. Keyed to the shaft 64 between the pulleys and the side 1 is a sprocket 67 which drives the chain 147 pass mg over the sprocket 21. Between the sprocket 67 and the pulley 66 the sprocket 148 is keyed to the shaft 64, and between the sprocket 67 and the side 1 the gear 68 is keyed to the shaft 64. Loosely mounted on the projection of the shaft 64 beyond the side 2 of the frame is a sprocket 69 which drives the chain 149 passing over the sprocket 59 keyed to the shaft 57. The sprocket 69 is provided with a clutch 70 to throw the same into and out of rotatable relation with the shaft 64. superposed at some distance above the tinning drum so as to engage the tinned side of the sheet material are the wi ing brushes 74, 74 keyed to the shafts 75 5 journaled in the sides of the frame. The wiping brushes are kept clean by carding brushes 76, 76 keyed t0 shafts 77 77 journaled in the sides of the frame in front of the shafts 75, 75. The shafts 75, 75 and 77, 77 project beyond the side 2 of the frame and keyed to their projecting extremities are the gears 78, 78 and 79, 79 respectively. The upper gears 78 and 79 are in mesh with an idle gear 80 keyed to a stub shaft 81 screwed into the side 2 of the frame. The lower gears 78 and 79 are in mesh withanother idle gear 82 keyed to a stub shaft 83 screwed into the side 2 of the frame. The upper and lower gears 78, 78 are in mesh with an intervening idle gear keyed to a stub shaft 85 screwed into the side 2 of the frame. The lower gear 78 is in mesh with another idle gear 86 keyed to a stub shaft 87 screwed into the side 2 of the frame. This latter gear 86 is in mesh with the gear 88 keyed to the driving shaft 64. In this manner the cardin brushes are caused to revolve in the opposite direction to that of the advancing sheet. Engaging the untinned side of the sheet material and pressing the same against the wiping brushes 74, 74 are the guide rollers 99 arranged in pairs, one pair opposite each brush. These guide rollers 99 are keyedto shafts 100 journaled at their extremities in bearing blocks 101, 101. The top and bottom sides of these blocks are grooved to engage the upper and lower sides 102, 102 of slots in the frame so that the rollers 99 are held against the untinned face of the sheet and press the latter against the wiping brushes by the counterbalanced levers 103, 103 which loosely engage the push pins 104, 104 to hold the bearing blocks in their normal position.

1 These counterbalanced levers 103. 103 are pivoted on supports 105, 105, which latter are bolted to caps 106, 106. These caps close the ends of the slots formed by the sides 102, 102 being bolted to the ends of the sides above, below and between the slots. The sliding block arrangement together with the counterbalanced levers is the same in both sides of the frame. Below the guide rollers 99 a pair of feeding out rollers 107, 108 are keyed to the shafts 109, 110, so that the sheet material will pass between them on its way from the roller 56 down to the takeoff block 118. The extremity of the shaft 109 projects beyond the side 2 of the frame and has keyed thereto a gear 111 which meshes with a gear 112 carried by a stub shaft 113 screwed into the side of the frame. The gear 112 is driven by the gear 88 mounted on the drive shaft 64. The extremities of the shaft 110 are journaled in bearing blocks 114 which slide in slots formed by the sides 115, 115, on each side of the frame. These bearing blocks 114 are controlled by counterbalanced levers 116 in the same manner as the bearing blocks 101 above described.

One extremity of the shaft 110 projects be yond the side 2 of the frame and has keyed thereto a gear 117, which meshes with the gear 111 when the bearing block is in its normal position, thereby completing a train of gears driven direct from the drive shaft 64 so that the guide rollers 107 and 108 revolve in the same direction as, but more rapidly than, the advancin sheet material. Below the guide rollers 107, 108 a take-off block 118 is keyed to a shaft 119 the extremities of which are coupled to the sliding collars 151, 151 to the shafts 152, 153 journaled in the sides of the frame. The extremity of the shaft 152 projects beyond the side 1 of the frame and has keyed thereto a sprocket 120 which is driven by a chain 154 passing over. the sprocket 148 on one extremity of the shaft 64. Between each end of the tinning drum 38 and its corresponding sprocket 40 is mounted a hub 122 carrying spaced disks 123 and 124. The eriphery of the inner disk, which is of less iameter than the outer disk, but of slightly greater diameter than the outer surface of the tinning drum, is V-shaped in cross section to form a circular wedge 125. Beneath each of the hubs 122 and in the path of the disk 123 is a channeled block 126 on a shaft 127 journaled in the frame. This block 126 is. L-shaped in cross section and hasits leg portion 128 fitting fairly close in the space formed between the opposite faces of the disks 123 and 124. The top surface of the foot portion 129 of the block lies in a plane substantially tangent to the face of the tinning drum so that its top face is in the path of the circular wedge 125. The foot portion 129 is milled out to form an arc-shaped channel 131 leaving a clearance betweenthe walls of the circular wedge 125 and the walls of the channel 131. The hubs 122 are longitudinally adjustable on the trunnion shafts 39 and may be locked thereto by screws 132. The blocks 126, 126 are also longitudinally adjustable upon the shaft 127 and are locked thereto by the screws 133. The inner wall 134 of each circular wedge bears on the cormay be raised and lowered to accommodate different thicknesses of sheet material. These blocks 126 may swing downwardly to a vertical position when the carrier bar 136 is passed in under the tinning drum, but are normally held in place as shown by the counterbalanced lever 137 in the same manner as the block 26 is held inplace by the counterbalanced lever 28. To advance the sheet material through the machine the front end of the sheet is attached to the carrier bar 136 the extremities of which are carried by the carrier chains 138, 138 in a manner which will hereinafter be described. The carrier chains 138, 138 pass over successively the sprockets 58, 58; 62, 62; 63, 63; 9, 9; 73,73; 169, 169 and 40, 40. The sprockets 58, 58 act as the driving sprockets and are driven by the chain 149 passing over the drive shaft 64. The carrier chains 138, 138 are provided at predetermined intervals with cam links, but preferably with a series of links the edges of which act as cams for separating any of the revolving elements between which the chains pass. A series of links constructed to form a cam are shown in detail in Fig; 6 in which the regular links of the carrier chains are connected by the links 139, 140, 141, 14.2, and 14.3. These links are all widened as they approach the central link 141 which latter is provided with an upwardly projecting integral bracket 146 recessed to form a pocket 144. These cam links are so disposed in each of the chains 138, 138 that they lie opposite each other to act as supports for the ex tremities of the carrier bar 136 which latter is provided with a slot 145 extending longitudinally thereof for nearly its entire length. The pockets 144, 144 are disposed longitudinally of the links 141, 141 and are open at their forward ends. A drip pan 176 is removably mounted on a shelf 177 which extends across the frame under the tinning drum 38. The ends of the shelf 177 are supported by blocks 178,178 which are grooved to movably engage the sides 179, 179 of the vertical slots formed in each side of the frame. These blocks are normally held elevated in their slots by the counter-balanced levers 180, 180 each of which has one end pivoted to its block and fulcrumed on a pivot pin projecting inwardly from the side of the frame. In this manner the drip pan may be lowered out of the way to make room for thelowering of the blocks 126, 126.

The operation'of the machine is as follows: The coil of the sheet material 5 carried by the core 6 is placed in the machine by coupling up its shaft 7 with the shafts 3 and 4 respectively. The end of the sheet is inserted in the slot 145 of the carrier bar 136 which bar may be turned over several times to fasten the sheet to the bar. The extremities of the carrier bar are then placed in the pockets 144, 144 of the cam links which have been brought around the carrier chains to a position immediately in advance of the coil 5 and the clutch 70 is then thrown to permit the sprocket 69 to drive the sprocket 59, which latter drives the carrier chains the blocks 126 being held in their vertical position as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The driving mechanism is then started by throwing the belt from the loose to the tight pulley which causes all the revolving parts to operate. The carrier bar is advanced by the cam links which latter engage the shaft 16 of the lower scouring brush and the shafts 25, 25 of the idle rollers thereby forcing the blocks 26, 26 which carry these shafts downwardly so that the carrier bar may advance the sheet beyond the scouring and acid brushes. The blocks 26, 26 are then returned to their normal position by the action of their counter weights 28, 28 permitting the scouring and acid brushes to act upon the upper side of the sheet material. The carrier bar then advances the sheet over the heating drums 34, 167 and 171, and then downwardly and forwardly in under the tinning drum 38 where its advance is stopped by throwing out the clutch 70 which stops the feed chains. The blocks 126, 126 are then swung upwardly at right angles so that the circular wedges 125, 125 co-act with the corners 135, 135 of the channels to engage the edges of the sheet material. The valve 51 is now opened, permitting the molten metal to flow down on to the surface of the tinning drum. The clutch 70 is then thrown in again to start the carrier chains and advance the sheet upwardly between the wiping brushes 74, 74 and the guide rollers 99, then over the roller 56 and downwardly to the take-off drum 118 where the extremities of the carrier bar 136 are engaged by one of the pairs of hooks 156, 156 which pull the bar out of the pockets 144, 144 of the cam links. The carrier bar drops into the channel 157 at the base of the hooks in a manner so as not to project beyond the surface of the take-off drum. The carrier chains are then stopped by throwing out the clutch 7 O. The sheet now being attached to the drum is coiled thereon regularly and continuously until the last end of the sheet reaches the take-off drum. The take-off drum with its coil of coated metal is removed from the machine by uncoupling its shaft 119 by means of the sliding collars 150, 151 and a new take-off drum substituted in its place. hen it is desired to tin a short sheet or plate the take-off drum may be dispensed with so that when the sheet is advanced to a point beyond the roller 56 it passes between the rapidly revolving feeding out rollers 107, 108 which deliver it out of the machine uncoiled. The drip pan 176 serves to catch any surplus tin that may drop down from the tinning drum or the last end of the sheet. The above description discloses the mechanism by which the sheet material is advanced through the machine and acted upon by the various instrumentalities to produce a tinning surface on one side thereof. a

While I have shown the tinning drum arranged to revolve with the sheet yet this is not necessary since the machine would be operative should the drum remain stationary, the idea being to form a bath on the top of the sheet between the sides of the latter where these sides are engaged by the co-action between the revolving wedges and the stationary blocks. engaging portions of the Wedges and blocks prevent the molten tin, which is deposited on the sheet in a sufficient amount to form a bath, from flowing off the sides of the sheet. Sometimes it may happen, especially in the case of narrow sheets, that the latter will be advanced under the tinning drum without touching the same, thus leaving a clearance between the drum and the upper face of the sheet since in such a case the sheet may be guided around the under side of the drum by the engaging portions of the wedges and blocks alone. However, in the case of tinning wider sheets the tinning drum should be of sufiicient diameter to prevent buckling of the sheets between their side edges. When the tinning drum revolves with the sheet and at a greater speed than that of the latter the tinning operation is facilitated sincethe tin is wiped upon the sheet by the rapidly rotating drum. By drawing off the molten metal in the heated reservoir 43 from below the surface of the metal any dross formed on this surface is prevented from passing to the tinning drum, that is, the molten metal delivered from the reservoir 43 to the tinning drum may be regarded as superheated since the metal in the bottom of the receptacle 43 is of a much higher temperature than that near its surface. Since the tinning drum is kept very hotit receives and deposits the molten metal on the upper surface of the sheet the molten metal still remaining superheated. Since the sheet is heated by the heating drum 34 the bath formed by the deposited molten metal may also be regarded as superheated and since this bath is being immediately used to tin the plate it may be regarded as a running bath which is kept in a superheated c0ndition. By this arrangement the disadvan- In other words the tages incident to running the sheet through the surface of, what may be regarded as, a relatively still bath in contra-distinction to a running bath, are obviated. \Vhile the tinning drum herein described is narrower than the width of the sheet it is obvious that the same couldbe widened and attached to the revolving wedges. In such a case, however, the co-acting wedges and blocks would not be longitudinally adjustable on the shaft to accommodate different widths of sheets. The cross sections of the channels in the tinning drummay be shaped so that when the channels carry some of the molten metal out of the bath the latter may flow backwardly without losing its superheated condition. After the sheet has passed in under the tinning drum it advances upwardly and substantially vertically and prevents any of the molten metal from flowing over the sides of the sheet. which. is the case when the sheet is advanced beyond the tinning drum in a hori zontal direction. The wiping brushes 74,

74 serve to finish the tinning operation by a spreading the metal uniformly on the sheets. While no specific form of wiping brushes is required, yet I prefer to utilize those of the character shown in Fig. 7 in which a wooden cylinder 158 has secured to its pa ripheral portion and at fairly close intervals groups of resilient paper strips 159 which extend longitudinally of the cylinder and are disposed transversely of the passing sheet. These resilient strips are spaced apart and fastened to the cylinder by a circular series of wedge blocks 160, one or all of which may be secured to the cylinder by screws 161. The brushes above described act with a series of blows upon the passing sheet instead of merely producing a rubbing action, as in the case of brushes ordinarily constructed. This action of the wiping brushes has been found to be particularly efficient in producing a uniform finish. The carding brushes keep the wiping brushes free of all small particles of tin or other foreign matter which might detract from the finish of the sheet. Instead. of using paper strips in making up the wiping brushes other material which has a suitable body, flexibility and resiliency can be used. The shafts of the various revolving parts. which are yieldingly mounted and are dis placed by the cam links during the passage of the carrier bar, are provided with suitable collars (not shown) adjacent to their ends which are engaged by the cam links. I have described the reservoir 13 being sup ported by the frame of the machine. It may, however, be supported in any other suitable manner so long as its position enables it to deliver the supply of molten metal in the manner herein described. If desired the tinning roll may be dispensed with entirely since my invention broadly comprehends any combination of instrumentalities wherein a bath is maintained on the top surface of an advancing sheet.

F From the above description it is apparent that my invention is an improvement on that sheet, yet it is conceivable that the broad idea of plating generally may be embodied in a machine wherein a bath is maintained in contact with the under side of the advancing sheet. the driving mechanism disclosed in the pres ent application for advancing the sheet and reeling the same into a coil may be embodied in tinning machines generally, especially those wherein a bath is maintained in contact with either one or the other side of the sheet. Other features of my invention above illustrated and described are more specifically defined in the appended claims.

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: v e r 1. The method of plating sheet metal which consists in advancing the metal in a heated condition, feeding the plating material in a heated molten state to the top side of the advancing metal and maintaining a bath of the heated molten material on the top side of the advancing metal.

2. In a machine for plating sheet metal on one side-means for holding the plating material, a rotary depositing cylinder provided'with a heater and arranged to receive said plating material, mechanism for advancing the sheet under said cylinder and means for maintaining a bath on the top side of the sheet.

3. In a machine for plating sheet metal on one side a rotary epositing cylinder provided with a heater and arranged to recelve the platlng material, mechanism for v advancing the sheet under said cylinder and means located in front of the depositing cylinder forheating the sheet.

4. In a machine for coating sheet material, a rotary depositing cylinder arranged to receive the coating material, mechanism for advancing the sheet under said cylinder and means located beyond the ends of the cylinder for engaging the edges of the advancing sheet during the coating operation to prevent the coating material from flowing over the edges of the sheet,

It is further conceivable that 5. In a machine for coating sheet material on one side means for feeding the coating material in a liquid state, mechanism for advancing the sheet material under said feeding means and means for maintaining a bath of the coating material on top of said sheet material under said coating means.

6. In a machine for coating sheet material on one side means for feeding the coating material in a liquid state, mechanism for advancing the sheet material first downwardly and then upwardly under said feeding means and means located under said feeding means for engaging the edges of said sheet material to prevent the coating material from flowing over the edges of the sheet.

7. In a machine for coating sheet material on one side means for feeding the coating material in a liquid state, mechanism for advancing the sheet material first downwardly and then upwardly under the feeding means and a rotary depositing means interposed between the feeding means and the sheet advancing mechanism.

8. In a machine for coating sheet material on one side means for feeding the coating material in a liquid state, mechanism for advancing the sheet material first downwardly and then upwardly under the feeding means, rotary depositing means interposed between the feeding means and the sheetadvancing mechanism and means for engaging the edges of the sheet material to prevent the coating material from flowing over the edges of the sheet material.

9. In a machine for plating sheet metal on one side means for feeding the plating material in a heated molten state, mechanism for advancing the metal first downwardly and then upwardly under the feeding means and means located under the feeding means for engaging the edges of said metal to prevent the plating material from flowing over the edges of the sheet.

10. In a machine for plating sheet metal on one side means for feeding the plating material in a heated molten state, instrumentalities for advancing the sheet material in a heated condition first downwardly and then upwardly under the feeding means and means located under the feeding means for engaging the edges of said metal to prevent the plating material from flowing over the edges of the sheet.

11. In a machine for plating sheet metal on one side means for feeding the plating material in a heated molten state, instrumentalities for advancing the metal in aremoving the front end of the sheet material from the carrier chains and rolling up the finished sheet material.

13. In a machine for coatin sheet material sundry instrumentalities or acting on the sheet to be coated in the normal opera tion of the machine, a pair of carrier chains, means carried by said chains for engaging the front end of the sheet material and a take-off element provided with means for receiving the last mentioned means and rolling up the finished sheet material.

14. In a machine for coating sheet mate rial, sundry instrumentalities for acting on the sheet to be coated in the normal operation of the machine including yieldably mounted elements, a pair of carrier chains having certain links thereof shaped to provide cam surfaces for eflecting the displace ment of said yieldably mounted elements during the movement of said chains, a cam link of each chain having pockets in alined relation, and a bar to which the end of the sheet to be coated is attached and which has its ends removably fitted in said pockets.

15. In a machine for coating sheet material, sundry instrumentalities for acting on the sheet to be coated in the normal 0 eration of the machine including yiel ably mounted elements a air of carrier chains having certain links t ereof shaped to provide cam surfaces for effecting the displacement of yieldably mounted elements during the movement of said chains, a cam link of each chain having a recess and said recessed links being in alined relation, a bar to which the end of the sheet to be coated is attached and which has its ends removably fitted in said recesses, and a receiving roll upon which the finished sheet is wound, said roll revolving at greater speed than the movement of the chains and having lugs to engage said bar and remove it from said recessed links.

16. In a machine for coating sheet material sundry instrumentalities for acting on the sheet to be coated in the normal operation of the machine, a pair of carrier chains each having a. recessed link, a bar to which the end of the sheet to be coated is attached and which has its ends removably fitted in said recessed links, and a receivin roll upon which the finished sheet is woun said roll revolving at greater speed than the movement of the chains and having lugs to engage said bar and remove it from said links.

17. In a machine for coating sheet material sundry instrumentalities for acting on the sheet to be coated in the normal operation of the machine, a pair of carrier chains each having a recessed link, a bar to which the end of the sheet to be coated is attached and which has its ends removably fitted in said recessed links, and a receivin roll upon which the finished sheet is woun said roll revolving at greater speed than the movement of the chains and having lugs to engage said bar and remove it from said links, and having also a recess into which the bar settles following its removal from said chains.

18. In a machine for coating sheet material the combination with a coating instrumentality including a receptacle for molten metal, means for drawing off the molten metal below its surface and a heated depositing roll below said receptacle arranged to receive the molten metal from said receptacle and deposit the same upon the top of the advancing sheet material.

19. In a machine for coating sheet material the combination with sheet advancing mechanism and means for heating the sheet, of instrumentalities for maintaining a running coating bath on the top surface of the advancing sheet.

20. In a machine for plating metal on one side sheet-advancing means, means for maintaining a plating bath in contact with one side of the advancing sheet and means for engaging and guiding the side edges of the sheet to prevent the bath from flowing over said side edges of the sheet, the said means comprehending devices for bending the side edges of the sheet at an angle.

21. In a machine for plating sheet metal on one side sheet-advancing means which positively engage the front end of the sheet, means for maintaining a plating bath in contact with one surface of the advancing sheet, and means located beyond the bath for coiling the sheet.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of September, 1918.

CHARLES C. ROBERTS. 

